Lee + $5.5mill Trade Exception? Where Do We Sign?

Lee has now met with Chicago, Miami and Minnesota, but he has been proceeding with the understanding that the Toronto Raptors could be his ultimate destination if Chris Bosh decides to go to New York. The Raptors are amenable to such a deal, and the salaries would not have to match because Toronto would be trading Bosh into open cap space. If they got Lee at an $11 million starting salary, the Raptors would also gain a $5.5 million trade exception, and Bosh would get a sixth year on his deal and 10.5 percent annual raises, increasing the value of his contract by $30 million.

The key to everything is James, of course, and the Knicks have told James he can bring along whichever big man he chooses, be it Amare Stoudemire, Bosh, Lee or Carlos Boozer.

I think if this offer comes up it is in the best intrest of the Raptors to take it.
I get the defensive fear everyone has....However it does not mean that Lee or Andrea could not be moved in a seperate trade...There is no doubt he is a solid borderline all star...

If your choices are let Bosh walk for nothing or get an allstart and 5 mil trade exception too me its a no brainer...This does not mean that him and Andrea have to play together for the next few years...

I also think Lee's defence is hardly worse then CB4's and Lee is a better rebounder...

Again not saying they would not get torched but You have to make this deal...

Unless there is an immediate taker for Lee for some young assets and picls I would rather have bosh walk away. He is not going to push us into contention by any stretch of the imagination. He posted good numbers on a very bad team with a very liberal style of play under Dantoni. Overrated, if you ask me and when you combine the fact he has very little defence and is posied to take away minutes from Amir and Ed, come on.
TPE is small to make it insignificant and you cant combine it too so all in all thanks but I'll pass.

Then trade Andrea but why just let Bosh walk away for nothing...If you can get all star assets...

I get his numbers are a bit inflated but I don't remember Bosh having a 40-20-10 night...Just sayin...

The raps need to get over the cap to have the MLE which is also a factor in the desire to get above the cap and make a sign and trade happen...

Do I think they are better sign and trades out there? Yes

Do I think If Bosh said I am going to NY no matter what work out a sign and trade or I leave for nothing...I do the trade....And then try to move another big...However call me super crazy but Andrea and Lee would not be as bad as everyone thinks...Davis is not ready for more then 15 minutes a night and Amir even though he is overpaid gets 20-25 minutes only due to foul trouble so that is no concern to me because by the time Amir learns to play without gettting fouls or Davis is ready for major minutes then BC who is not shy by the way will make a trade...

So please tell me how this is better then letting him walk for nothing in that scenario???

Flip Lee

It would work if they could flip Lee (and maybe Hedo or Jose) to Houston for part of the package of players they (Houston) was willing to give up for Bosh.... but it looks like NY has already found their PF in Amare....

Then trade Andrea but why just let Bosh walk away for nothing...If you can get all star assets...

The raps need to get over the cap to have the MLE which is also a factor in the desire to get above the cap and make a sign and trade happen...

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So please tell me how this is better then letting him walk for nothing in that scenario???

A bigger trade exception isn't exactly "nothing"; it has the potential of letting you choose to receive a player from a different team than the one Bosh wants to sign with.

The Raptors do NOT need to get over the cap as you just suggested, because as it stands, even if we trade Bosh for nothing, we are still close enough to the cap to use the MLE. Therefore, it is not a factor as you declared.

It's not like you're getting Lee for free. Lee has a choice in this matter, so if Toronto wants him in return, we are probably going to end up paying quite a bit for his services. That contract will limit us in our attempt to build a defensively responsible team. And yes, Lee is even worse defensively than Bosh.

Whether or not you would've done this hypothetical trade should only come down to one factor, in my opinion. And that's whether you think Lee can improve defensively. He might be overrated offensively because he played on the Knicks, but there are things you can still take away from his game.

He is a solid finisher inside (66% on 7.2 FGA, 59.3% of the assisted; 66% on 5 FGA, 60.3% of them assisted on average for centers playing 30mpg+). He's a good jumpshooter from 16ft+ (43% on 4.9 FGA; 39.9% on 2.1 FGA on average). Only Kaman comes close as a jumpshooter on 4fga+ (42%) and Kaman has always been a good shooter. Horford hit 48%, but only took 2.2 a game.

He's also a good passer, right up there with good passing big men like Duncan and Horford at 1.56 A:T and behind only Nene with a 15.63 AR, while leading big men in apg. He was also only behind Howard in DRR. His offensive rebounding is somewhat below average, but defensive rebounding is more important and he killed it.

Everyone also talks about how his numbers were inflated, which is barely the case at all, considering New York was only one possession p48m above league average, good for only tenth in the league.

It all really comes down to defence and how much you think Lee can improve on that end by playing at PF and, you know, actually working on it and improving. If you don't think he can improve, no matter how good offensively you think he is, it's not a good move for the Raptors. They can't be paying two defensive liabilities $10m+/yr. You can't win like that.

I'd be perfectly fine with David Lee. He his arguably the second best rebounder in the league in the league behind Howard. Yeah, his defense isn't good, but it's not as awful as another site makes it out to be(you know the one where you're white or a "euro' you're garbage and can't play the game?) he's played on the Knicks his entire career and most of the time played centre, completely our of position. He isn't a shot blocker and he isn't a centre. He is a pure power forward who will get you 20/10 a night, just like a Bosh, but doesn't demand the ball like Bosh does.

Obviously is this move happens, our three big rotation appears to be really solid. In all honesty I can see both Alabi and Ed Davis playing in the D-League next season if Colangelo wants to challenge for a playoff spot and develop talent(and it appears he will, since he's trying to save his job.)

So David Lee doesn't want to sign here, no one wants David Lee to sign here, he represents the exact player the raptors don't need, clogs a front court that would stunt other young player's growth, is bound to be overpaid for overproducing on a shitty team devoid of rebounders and would give the raptors another slow white, nonathletic white guy on a team that already has too many of them.

I like David Lee and some team might be lucky to get him, but every night before I go to bed I light a candle and make a silent prayer it won't be the raptors.

Bosh coming back here without major tinkering does not put us in title contention either...

If the choice is Lee and 5 million dollar trade exception which is much more of an asset then some of you realize or Bosh leaving for nothing every GM in the league will take Lee and the exemption...

That 5 million exception added to expiring contracs of Evans and Banks near the trade deadline can get you a 15million player....

Again I dont think Lee is as good as Bosh but Lee is better then nothing I havent heard an argument that makes sense to let Bosh go for nothing when you can get 2 assets instead of 0

Lee is very good basketball player and even though he is not the greatest fit with our club does not mean that he or Andrea can not be moved.....

If your chick wants to have a 3some with another chick but your not exactly happy with the chick she wants to include...you do it anyway because of the posibilities it opens up...David Lee is that girl!!!